Wrapped Up In Bows
by ohemgeeitscoley
Summary: Thea helps Felicity pick out a present for Oliver.


**A/N: Biggest thank you to Thecoolcheryl for betaing this at the last minute! Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates!**

Felicity huffed out a breath as she pulled her scarf tighter around her neck. She smiled apologetically at Thea through the store window as Thea finished ringing up at the counter. Thea walked out of the store glaring at her playfully. "I'm pretty sure the whole point of this shopping trip was for you to find a present for my brother, not for me to buy myself presents."

"Never thought I'd hear you complain about shopping for yourself." Thea glared at her, shaking her head. "I know this is ridiculous. I just... it's the first Christmas where Oliver and I have really been in a maybe relationship, and I just... I want this present to be perfect. He did that cute little wintery getaway theme for Hanukkah, and I can't come up with anything. I'm the worst girlfriend - not that I'm his girlfriend, 'cause we definitely haven't had that conversation. We haven't even had sex... not that you need to have sex to be in a relationship-"

"You guys haven't had sex?"

Felicity cringed. "I really should not be taking to you about this. You're his sister."

"Irrelevant. Seven years of will they or won't they, and nothing?"

"Thea." Felicity's voice was desperate to get her to stop talking.

Thea nodded. "Fine. Off limit conversation."

Felicity smiled. "Thank you."

"You trust me right," Thea asked, smiling."

"Not with that face I don't."

Thea's grin only grew larger. "Go home. I'll meet you there in an hour. Take a bath. Relax. I've got the perfect present."

"Thea, I swear if you bring back Santa lingerie-"

Thea scoffed. "Please, like I'd be that unoriginal."

Felicity closed her eyes. "I'm only agreeing to this because we've been to ten stores and I'm empty handed."

Thea raised her eyebrows, holding out her bags. "Take these with you."

Felicity grabbed the bags, biting her lip. "Don't make me regret this."

Thea rolled her eyes. "Have a little faith."

Felicity popped her head out of her bedroom when she heard her apartment door open. She smiled as she watched Thea put a few bags on the table and pulled the strings of her robe tighter before walking out.

"What'd you get," Felicity asked, pulling at the tissue paper in the bigger bag. Her eyebrows scrunched down as she pulled out a giant red bow.

She closed her eyes, breathing slowly. "Please tell me you did not buy a giant bow in an attempt for me to give Oliver sex for Christmas."

Thea smiled. "Of course not. I got you a giant bow to give yourself the present of sex for Christmas. Oliver is really just lucky in this scenario."

Felicity groaned. "Thea."

"C'mon. How long has it been since you've had sex?"

"That's so not a conversation that needs to happen."

"AKA far too long."

"Thea-"

"Just try out on." Thea reached down into one of the smaller bags, pulling out a pair of red shoes. "I mean, look at these shoes."

Felicity pulled her lip in between her teeth. It had been awhile, and Oliver had seemed content with moving things along at a glacier pace. What if he turned her down?

Thea laughed. Felicity felt her face warm. "I said all of that out loud, didn't I?"

"Yeah." Thea shrugged handing Felicity the bags. "Trust me, my brother is not going to turn you down. Now go."

Felicity sighed, shutting her bedroom door. She slipped out of her robe, pulling on the red underwear that was in one of the smaller bags. She shook her head muttering threats to Thea's bank account under her breath while she attempted to tie the bottom straps of the bow behind her back. She sighed when she realized she wasn't going to be able to. She let them fall back to her side, and tied the top straps around her neck.

She pulled the shoes out of the bag, cringing when she saw the designer name. There was no way she was actually going to be able to pay Thea back for them. She sat down on the edge of her bed slipping them on. She glanced at the mirror on her wall, shaking her head, she was not pulling this off.

She pulled her robe back on, pulling the belt extra tight before walking back out to Thea.

"I can't do this. I can't even tie the back of it."

"Take your robe off. I can do it."

Felicity sighed. "That's not... that's not even the point. What if this is just going too far? I mean, we've kissed a few times, offering myself up as a present might seem too forward. Not to mention highly old school. I'm probably making feminists cringe."

"For going after what you want? I mean, isn't that sort of the point?"

"Can you stop saying things that make sense?"

Thea laughed. "I can't help it."

"Oliver can still say no."

"Sure. He could. Or he might be all for it. There's only one way to find out."

"This is a pretty embarrassing way to find out."

"Pretty sure it'll be embarrassing either way."

"When did you get so logical," Felicity muttered as she untied her robe. She turned around letting the robe fall down.

Thea tied up the strings, smiling softly. "I really don't think you need to worry about my brother turning you down."

Felicity smiled, pulling the robe back up. "Thanks."

"I know you and he have only been doing the kissing stuff for a couple of weeks, and I get that you're nervous. But seriously, you guys have been pretty much dating for at least a couple of years now. He's just got to make it all broody and complicated because he's Oliver and that's what he does. It's why he needs you. You lighten him up. So breathe, lighten up, this is going to work out pretty well for you."

Felicity smiled. "Thank you. Maybe you're right anyway."

"Of course I am." Thea shrugged as she started walking toward Felicity's room. "Now come on, I'll do your hair and make-up."

"I'm still a little concerned about your okayness with me having sex with your brother, by the way."

"Seriously? I've been subjected to far too many stories about my brother's sex life to let it get in my way of my plan to make you my sister-in-law."

Felicity grinned. "You have a plan, huh?"

"I have back-up plans to my back-up plans." Thea pulled out Felicity's desk chair, motion for her to sit down. "Now," Thea started, pulling Felicity's hair up. "Up or down?"

"Down," Felicity answered. "Definitely down."

Felicity glanced at the clock on the wall for the tenth time in five minutes. She sighed, pulling her legs up on to the couch. She twisted at the ends of her hair, trying not to worry. Oliver wasn't exactly known for being punctual, but normally if he was going to be this late he called. She grabbed her phone off the table next to the couch, hovering over the text message she had typed out an hour ago asking where he was. She still hadn't sent it, not wanting to seem clingy. But after over three hours of wearing nothing but a bow under her robe, she was starting to get irritated, and was really second guessing the plan.

She decided to give him another fifteen minutes before she called the whole plan off. She could probably find something sort of suitable in the box of last-minute gifts that she kept in her closet, normally for co-workers birthdays or secret Santa parties. She stood up, shaking her head. She opened her bedroom door just in time to watch Oliver finish climbing in through her window.

"I didn't know you were patrolling tonight," she said, leaning against the door.

"I wasn't planning on it. Digg called when I was on my way over here." Oliver made quick work of removing the hood and placing his mask on the nightstand.

"You could have called."

"I didn't think it would take this long." His lips brushed across her forehead. "I'm sorry. Do I still have clothes here?"

Felicity nodded. "Second drawer, left side."

He smiled, making his way over to the drawer and changing out of the Arrow outfit. Felicity smiled softly to herself at the ordinariness of the situation. Thea had been right, the kissing might be new, but she and Oliver had basically been in a relationship for a while. She noticed Oliver pulling out a present and setting it on top of her dresser.

"Who's that for," she asked.

"You." Oliver tilted his head, as if it should have been obvious.

"You already got me Hanukkah presents."

"And?"

"And I don't even celebrate Christmas, Oliver."

"Okay. Then don't think of it as a Christmas present. Think of it as an early birthday present."

"My birthday is in July."

"A very early present?"

"You're impossible." She held her hand out for the gift. "This means you can't get my anything then."

Oliver laughed, placing the gift in her hand. "I think we both know that is not going to happen."

Felicity shook her head, placing the present back on the dresser. "I think I'll save it. Maybe open it tomorrow. We can make it a tradition."

Oliver smiled. "Does that mean it's my turn for my present? 'Cause I mean, I am the one in this relationship that celebrates Christmas."

Felicity smiled brightly at him, her nerves almost disappearing once she heard him use the word relationship. "Yeah. I suppose so. Okay. Close your eyes."

Oliver listened, closing his eyes, his lips turned up slightly. Felicity closed her eyes as she undid the strings of her robe, letting it fall to the floor. She opened them up, smiling as Oliver tapped his fingers against his pants. "Open them."

She watched as his eyes opened, and a look of confusion seemed to pass over his face before his eyes darkened, and his smile seemed to a little more devious than it had before. She smiled slowly, trying not to move or do anything awkward. "Merry Christmas?"

Oliver didn't say anything for a minute, and Felicity was about to grab her robe and try to figure out the easiest, least embarrassing way out of the situation when Oliver seemed to realize he was still just standing there. His lips covered hers, his hands going straight for the bow in the back, slowly untying it. He moved his mouth from hers, latching on to the bottom of her ear before whispering, "The best."


End file.
